Administrative Assistant
Donna Phelps
905-688-5550, extension 3513
Mackenzie Chown, J314
cosc.brocku.ca
The Department of Computer Science offers four-year programs of study leading to single or combined BSc (Honours), single Computer Science Co-op BSc (Honours), combined Mathematics/Computer Science Co-op BSc (Honours), single BSc with Major in Computer Science and combined BA (Honours) degree program. Two concentrations are available: software engineering and intelligent systems. An Internship program is also available in the honours program. There are cross-disciplinary programs in Computing and Business, Computing and Solid-State Device Technology, Computing and Network Communications, Game Programming, and Interactive Arts and Sciences as well as a Minor in Applied Computing.
See relevant calendar entries for a listing of program requirements.

It is widely recognized that the professional practice of Computer Science requires Domain Knowledge - specialized knowledge of the area in which computing is being applied. This phenomenon is often described as Computer Science + X. In order to prepare students for professional practice, the BSc (Honours) Co-op and BSc with Major programs require the completion of the domain knowledge requirement. Students following the BSc (Honours) program must either complete the courses for graduate school entry (see below) or complete the Domain Knowledge Requirement.
The domain knowledge requirement can be fulfilled either by completing a minor in a subject other than Applied Computing or by completing a cohesive set of at least 4.0 credits in an area other than Computer Science or Applied Computing approved by the Computer Science Undergraduate Program Adviser.

The Computer Science Co-op program combines academic and work terms over a four and one-half year period. Students spend one and one-half years in an academic setting studying the fundamentals of computer programming, computer organization, algorithms, data structures and ethics prior to their first work placement. Successful completion of courses in the core areas of Computer Science provides the necessary academic background for the work experience. In addition to the current fees for courses in academic study terms, Co-op students are assessed an annual administration fee (see the Schedule of Fees).
Eligibility to continue is based on the student's major average and non-major average. Students will be required to maintain a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average in order to continue in the Co-op program. If a student subsequently raises his/her major average to 70 percent, the student may be readmitted only if approved by the Computer Science Co-op Admissions Committee.
All students in the Co-operative Education program are required to read, sign and adhere to the terms of the Student Regulations Waiver and Co-op Student Handbook (brocku.ca/co-op/current-students/co-op-student-handbooks) as articulated by the Co-op Programs Office. In addition, eligibility to continue in the co-op option is based on the student's major average and non-major average, and the ability to demonstrate the motivation and potential to pursue a professional career.
Students must register for each four-month co-operative education work term. Once students are registered in a co-op work term, they are expected to fulfill their commitment. If the placement accepted is for more than one four-month work term, students are committed to complete all terms. Students may not withdraw from or terminate a work term without permission from the Director, Co-op Program Office.
The Computer Science Co-op program designation will be awarded to those students who have honours standing and have successfully completed a minimum of twelve months Co-op work experience.

The Internship option combines academic and work experience in a five-year program. It is available in Computer Science honours (single or combined), Computing and Business and Computing and Solid-State Device Technology programs. Students complete the normal four-year honours program and an 8-16 month work placement after second or third year. In order to complete the Internship placement, students will be required to submit an acceptable placement report that will be graded by the Department. In addition to the usual fees for courses, a one-time administration fee will be levied during the work term (see the Schedule of Fees).
Students enrolled in the program may apply for admission to the Internship Option during the Fall Term of year 1 or year 2 (depending on whether they plan a work term after year 2 or 3, respectively). As this is a limited enrolment program admission is not guaranteed by attainment of the minimum requirement. Admission will be based on the achievement (as of January of the application year) and maintenance of a minimum 70 percent major average. Prior to the placement, the student must have completed at least 10, but preferably 15 credits, including COSC 1P50, 2P03, 2P89 and one or more of COSC 2P12, 2P13, 3P32, 3P50. The Computer Science Internship Admissions Committee will make admission decisions.

Courses with the APCO designation are intended for non-Computer Science majors who recognize the need for fluency in computing as a part of their undergraduate program. These courses may be taken individually or as part of a minor.
APCO 1P00, 1P01, 1P30, 1P50 and 1P93 may each be taken as a first APCO course. APCO 1P00 is a non-technical introduction to programming and requires no previous experience. APCO 1P01 discusses software tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and searching the internet and anticipates previous exposure to computer use. APCO 1P30 involves programming for interactive media and assumes no prior programming experience but does assume familiarity with computer applications. APCO 1P50 considers effective and ethical use of computers for information acquisition and dissemination. It requires no previous computing skill. APCO 1P93 will usually serve as a second programming course but can also serve as an introductory programming course for those who need a more technical introduction to programming.
APCO courses do not count as major credit for COSC (single or combined) majors, Computing and Business, Computing and Network Communications and Computing and Solid-State Device Technology students. Students who have done well in APCO 1P00 and are interested in changing their major to COSC should contact the Department Chair and may be permitted to proceed directly to COSC 1P03.

A campus-wide fibre optic network links all the University's academic computing facilities including the department's computers. Campus-wide WiFi provides access to this network from anywhere on campus. The department maintains a 16 core Redhat Linux server that supports the departmental labs and provides students with access to their files wherever they can connect via the internet. The department has three computer laboratories: D205, J301 and J310 containing multi-core Intel processor computers running both Windows and Linux operating systems with access to development environments, database systems and other special purpose software used in the courses.

Mathematics is fundamental to the study of Computer Science and thus MATH credits are required in each of the various programs. In order to be more competitive in the workplace and if considering graduate studies, students are strongly encouraged to take as many MATH courses as possible.

Students interested in computer hardware are advised to elect PHYS 2P31, 2P32 and 3P92 within their Computer Science program. PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended) and one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93 are required as a prerequisite for PHYS 2P31. Students may also wish to consider the Computing and Solid-state Device Technology program. (See separate calendar entry.)

Prior computer programming experience is not required for entry to the COSC programs. Students with considerable prior programming experience in a high-level language such as Java, C++ or Ada may be granted exemption from COSC 1P02 at the discretion of the Chair.

One elective credit if the required course in year 1 in the other discipline is a Social Sciences context credit or Humanities context credit for the combined degree with Social Sciences context credit or Humanities context credit, respectively.

Students fulfilling the Domain Knowledge Requirement must complete either a minor in a subject other than Applied Computing or a cohesive set of at least 4.0 credits in an area other than Computer Science or Applied Computing approved by the Computer Science Undergraduate Program Adviser.

In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.

In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 20 credits may be taken.

Students admitted to the Computer Science program must follow an approved program pattern. The most common pattern is listed below. For other approved patterns, consult the Co-op Office. Failure to adhere to an approved pattern may result in removal from the program.
Year 1

A student holding an honours or Pass degree in another discipline may obtain a BSc (Honours) in Computer Science or a BSc with a Major in Computer Science. Students should refer to the University regulations concerning "Requirements for a Second or Subsequent Degree" section for further information. Previous or transfer credits may be used to satisfy some of the following requirements.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of fluency and accuracy in spoken and written English. Prior to admission, an applicant holding a degree from a non-Canadian university will be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency as demonstrated through one of the means outlined in the "Proof of Proficiency in English" section.
The additional courses taken for a second degree in Computer Science must include a minimum of five Brock COSC credits. All elective credits should be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
A second-degree program is often taken as part-time study since the normal prerequisite structure requires a minimum of four years of study. A student wishing to pursue full-time study can usually complete the program in three years by following the pattern of study below.

Students may take a combined major in Computer Science and a second discipline. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.

This concentration does not lead to a professional engineering degree.
Students can earn a Concentration in Software Engineering by successfully completing the courses listed below as part of their academic work leading to an Honours BSc in Computer Science degree:

Brock-Fanshawe College
This agreement allows Brock to admit students from the Fanshawe College Programmer Analyst Diploma Program who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 to the BSc (Honours) Computer Science, BSc with Major Computer Science or BSc (Pass) Computer Science program. Students who have a grade of B in all transferred courses will be awarded six credits towards any of these three degrees and can complete the requirements for the BSc (Honours) and with Major degrees within three years and the Pass degree within two years. The schedule of transferable courses is available from the Admissions Office.

This agreement allows Brock University to admit graduates of the Mohawk College Computer Systems Technology - Software Engineering Advanced Diploma Program who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (80 percent) to the BSc (Honours) Computer Science or BSc with Major Computer Science program. At admission, the student will be awarded five credits towards either of these degrees. After completion of five credits at Brock University, the student may be eligible for up to two and one-half additional transfer credits. Normally the requirements for the BSc Honours and with Major degrees can be completed within three years. The schedule of transferable courses is available from the Admissions Office.

This agreement allows Brock University to admit graduates of the Niagara College Programmer/Analyst Advanced Diploma Program who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (80 percent) to the BSc (Honours) Computer Science or BSc with Major Computer Science program. At admission, the student will be awarded five credits towards either of these degrees. After completion of five credits at Brock University, the student may be eligible for up to two additional transfer credits. Normally the requirements for the BSc (Honours) and with Major degrees can be completed within three years. The schedule of transferable courses is available from the Admissions Office.

This agreement allows Brock University to admit students from the Sheridan College Computer Science Technology Advanced Diploma Program who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (80 percent) to the BSc (Honours) Computer Science or BSc with Major Computer Science program. At admission, the student will be awarded seven credits towards either of these degrees. After completion of five credits at Brock University, the student may be eligible for up to two additional transfer credits. Normally the requirements for the BSc (Honours) and with Major degrees can be completed within two to three years. The schedule of transferable courses is available from the Admissions Office.

Candidates with either an Honours or a Pass BSc degree in Computer Science, or equivalent, may apply to the Director of the Graduate Studies Office for entry into this program. Candidates holding a Pass degree will be required to take a qualifying year, similar to year 4 of the Honours program, before formally enrolling for the MSc degree. Candidates may be required to write Graduate Record Aptitude Examinations.
Candidates with an Honours degree, or who have completed a qualifying year, require a minimum of one year of full-time study. The department offers a wide range of courses and research opportunities.
For further information about the MSc program see the Graduate Calendar and the department's Graduate Studies brochure.

COSC 0N01
Co-op Work Placement I
First co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to COSC and BCB Co-op students.
COSC 0N02
Co-op Work Placement II
Second co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to COSC and BCB Co-op students.
COSC 0N03
Co-op Work Placement III
Third co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to COSC and BCB Co-op students.
COSC 0N04
Co-op Work Placement IV
Optional co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to COSC and BCB Co-op students.
COSC 0N05
Co-op Work Placement V
Optional co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to COSC and BCB Co-op students.
COSC 2C01
Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration I
Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.
Restriction: open to BCB, COSC and CNET Co-op students.
Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.
Corequisite(s): COSC 0N01.
Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.
COSC 2C02
Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration II
Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.
Restriction: open to BCB and COSC Co-op students.
Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.
Corequisite(s): COSC 2C02.
Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.
COSC 2C03
Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration III
Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.
Restriction: open to BCB and COSC Co-op students.
Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.
Corequisite(s): COSC 0N03.
Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.
COSC 2C04
Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration IV
Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.
Restriction: open to BCB and COSC Co-op students.
Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.
Corequisite(s): COSC 0N04.
Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.
COSC 2C05
Co-op Reflective Learning and Integration V
Provide student with the opportunity to apply what they've learned in their academic studies through career-oriented work experiences at employer sites.
Restriction: open to BCB and COSC Co-op students.
Prerequisite(s): SCIE 0N90.
Corequisite(s): COSC 0N05.
Note: students will be required to prepare learning objectives, participate in a site visit, write a work term report and receive a successful work term performance evaluation.

INTERNSHIP COURSE

COSC 2N90
Internship
Work placement of 8-16 months duration with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to students accepted into the Internship option.
Note: interviews with employer and student and completion, by the student, of a work report.